


Destiny

by Venivincere



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-25
Updated: 2012-03-25
Packaged: 2017-11-02 13:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/369246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venivincere/pseuds/Venivincere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Destiny is a long walk through a familiar wood, blind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Destiny

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gwyntastic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwyntastic/gifts).



> Written for Gwyntastic, for being the best co-captain anyone could want. Many thanks to my beta, C. That stands for Charming, btw.

It must have been the tail, a great, barbed thing that whipped like a scream through the air until Arthur slew the beast. In its death throes, the wyvern thrashed wildly. In one moment, Arthur was scrambling away from it, and in the next, he was down and writhing, blood sluicing out the neck of his gorget and staining the grass beneath him. Merlin was on him the moment the beast stopped flopping. He tried to examine the wound, though he was trembling and shocky and couldn't see -- _so much blood_ , he thought -- and mopped the area with his neckerchief again.

"Arthur, hold still!"

Arthur froze; stared at Merlin, eyes wide with shock. Merlin assessed him. At least the blood wasn't pumping out, just flowing; previous experience taught him that with neck wounds, when the blood squirted out, the person would perish, but that when the blood merely flowed, the person could often be saved. He applied pressure on the sodden neckerchief directly over the wound, a wide, deep stab into Arthur's flesh that petered out in a tail of ripped skin and sinew.

"You'll be fine, Arthur, really you will," said Merlin, as he held the pressure with one hand, and with his other, worked his tunic off over his head. He gathered it in his hand, and pressed it over his neckerchief toward Arthur's chest. He could hear the breath dragging through Arthur's windpipe and didn't want to cut off his air. But the blood kept flowing, and Arthur kept staring into Merlin's eyes, and the blood -- so much blood--

Merlin stared back, and gulped. "Arthur -- I'm going to do something that will spare your life. Please -- please spare mine in return."

Arthur's shock-wide eyes turned pleading.

" _Níwfyllan_ ," said Merlin, and, " _áséowan_ ," and watched the gold in his eyes reflected back to him in Arthur's gaze. And when the gold died down, he saw the pleading in Arthur's eyes turn to relief, even as they closed and Arthur fell into a deep slumber.

Merlin murmured a cleaning spell that rid Arthur and his armour and their clothes of the blood that clotted tangy and sticky all over them, then donned his tunic and neckerchief. He could leave now, before Arthur woke, and he was pretty sure Arthur would just let him go, not track him down and kill him in the courtyard, as his father had done too many times. But that would be poor repayment, leaving Arthur to his own self-destructive devices after the many times Arthur had saved Merlin's life. So he stayed, and sat close to Arthur's head, carding his fingers through Arthur's hair, and wondered what would happen next. _Destiny_ , he thought, _is a long walk in a familiar wood, blind_.

He woke in the dark of a new moon on a cloudy night, warm along the side pressed against Arthur. Arthur's fingers twined with his own and squeezed. 

"Thank you," said Arthur, stroking his thumb over Merlin's own. "I've waited for this. I've known for so long, but I waited..."

"I couldn't let you die. You're more important than I am. I could risk myself, but not you. Never you, Arth--"

"--I know."

They lay in silence for a while, listening to the crickets and bullfrogs and the breeze sighing through the treetops.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"When Dragoon... when _I_ tried to heal your father and failed, I thought I had lost my chance for good."

Arthur's breath hitched, and Merlin felt him tense up. Merlin's heart began to beat very fast, very loud in his chest, and he was very sure he was about to be throttled where he lay. So he was very surprised when all Arthur did was say, "You must have felt so lonely, carrying that burden."

"Arthur, I'm sorry. I am _so_ sorry. I didn't know about Morg--"

"--Merlin," said Arthur, and Merlin fell silent. "Guilt is a heavy burden, and you have enough to bear. You're not responsible for my father's death. Let go of that guilt."

Arthur squeezed his hand, and twin tears ran down Merlin's temples into his hair. His breathing ran ragged for a time, and he waited until it calmed before he said, "Okay. Arthur -- thank you." 

Arthur gave his hand another squeeze but said nothing, and Merlin though that maybe a blind walk in the woods might not be so bad. After all, he trusts with his life the one who took his hand and guides him through.


End file.
